GM reaches $220M settlement over selling drivers’ private data

General Motors will pay $220 million to 36 states to settle allegations that it illegally sold private driving behavior and location information to data brokers. As part of the settlement, GM must get drivers’ express consent before it collects or shares their driving and location data — terms that are in line with separate agreements it previously reached with California and the Federal Trade Commission (FTC). This settlement does contain a new requirement that GM must have a third party assess the automaker’s compliance with the privacy program it has put in place.

通用汽车将向 36 个州支付 2.2 亿美元，以就其非法向数据经纪商出售私人驾驶行为和位置信息的指控达成和解。作为和解协议的一部分，通用汽车在收集或共享驾驶员的驾驶和位置数据之前，必须获得其明确同意。这些条款与该公司此前与加利福尼亚州及联邦贸易委员会（FTC）达成的独立协议一致。此次和解包含一项新要求，即通用汽车必须聘请第三方评估其对所建立隐私项目的合规性。

The agreement announced Thursday settles a lawsuit brought by a coalition of attorneys general from 36 states that alleged GM had sold the information to data brokers, which in turn then sold it to insurance providers. “This agreement addresses Smart Driver, a product we ended in 2024, and reinforces steps we’ve taken to strengthen our privacy practices,” GM said in an emailed statement. “Safer, more helpful and personalized experiences are enabled by connected vehicle data, and GM is committed to being clear about what information is used, how it’s protected, and the choices customers have about what they share.”

周四宣布的这项协议解决了由 36 个州的总检察长联盟提起的诉讼，该诉讼指控通用汽车将信息出售给数据经纪商，而后者随后又将其转卖给保险提供商。通用汽车在一份电子邮件声明中表示：“该协议针对的是我们在 2024 年终止的产品‘Smart Driver’，并加强了我们为强化隐私实践所采取的措施。互联车辆数据能够实现更安全、更有帮助和个性化的体验，通用汽车致力于明确告知所使用的信息、信息的保护方式，以及客户在分享信息方面所拥有的选择权。”

The settlement comes more than two years after a New York Times report showed how GM and OnStar collected, used, and sold drivers’ precise geolocation data and driving behavior to third parties, including data brokers LexisNexis and Verisk. The data was collected through GM’s Smart Driver program, a free feature contained within its connected car apps that tracked and rated driving behaviors and seat belt use. Data brokers sold this information to insurance providers, which could affect customers’ rates, the NYT reported at the time.

此次和解距离《纽约时报》的一篇报道已过去两年多，该报道揭露了通用汽车及其 OnStar 服务如何收集、使用并向包括 LexisNexis 和 Verisk 在内的数据经纪商出售驾驶员的精确地理位置数据和驾驶行为。这些数据是通过通用汽车的“Smart Driver”项目收集的，该项目是其互联汽车应用程序中的一项免费功能，用于跟踪和评估驾驶行为及安全带使用情况。据《纽约时报》当时报道，数据经纪商将这些信息出售给保险提供商，这可能会影响客户的保费。

GM discontinued Smart Driver in 2024, but that didn’t stop legal action. In January, the FTC finalized an order that bans GM and its OnStar telematics service from sharing certain consumer data. The FTC settlement, as well as the multistate one announced Thursday, also requires GM to be more transparent with its consumers and receive their explicit consent for certain collection. The company now says it is focused on protecting the privacy of its customers and will no longer sell vehicle information that can be linked to an individual, their vehicle location, or how they drive.

通用汽车于 2024 年停止了“Smart Driver”项目，但这并未阻止法律诉讼。今年 1 月，联邦贸易委员会敲定了一项命令，禁止通用汽车及其 OnStar 远程信息处理服务共享某些消费者数据。联邦贸易委员会的和解协议以及周四宣布的多州和解协议，还要求通用汽车对消费者更加透明，并在进行某些数据收集时获得其明确同意。该公司目前表示，其重点是保护客户隐私，将不再出售可与个人、车辆位置或驾驶方式相关联的车辆信息。

However, GM may still disclose anonymized data not tied to an individual with certain partners. GM has also updated the language in its privacy policy and created a consumer-facing Privacy Center. The settlement and mandated changes to how GM handles customer driving data come as more sensor-laden vehicles equipped with computing power enter the market. Automakers have made large bets on software-centric vehicles that drivers and passengers can interact with and connect with other digital apps such as their calendar, messages, and email.

不过，通用汽车仍可能与某些合作伙伴披露不与个人挂钩的匿名数据。通用汽车还更新了其隐私政策的措辞，并创建了一个面向消费者的隐私中心。随着更多配备计算能力和传感器的车辆进入市场，此次和解以及对通用汽车处理客户驾驶数据方式的强制性变更随之而来。汽车制造商已在以软件为中心的车辆上投入巨资，驾驶员和乘客可以与这些车辆进行交互，并连接到日历、消息和电子邮件等其他数字应用程序。

For instance, GM is adding a personal AI assistant to OnStar, its 30-year-old safety and roadside assistance service. Cameras on the vehicle will be connected to the software to offer live views as well as crash and safety recordings. Users will also be able to use voice to control certain functions on the vehicle, including climate, and ask questions about any specific vehicle feature. The automaker emphasized its privacy protections when it announced the new assistant during its GM Forward event in October.

例如，通用汽车正在为其拥有 30 年历史的安全和道路救援服务 OnStar 添加个人人工智能助手。车内摄像头将连接到软件，以提供实时视图以及碰撞和安全记录。用户还可以使用语音控制车辆的某些功能（包括空调），并询问有关特定车辆功能的任何问题。该汽车制造商在 10 月份的“GM Forward”活动中宣布这一新助手时，强调了其隐私保护措施。

The company said customers will have the ability to decide what data is shared and that the recordings have time limits and are encrypted. GM said it and OnStar cannot access Connected Camera recordings. Customers will also be able to manage permissions. However, customers who opt not to share their data will likely have limited access to certain features, according to GM.

该公司表示，客户将有权决定共享哪些数据，并且录像设有时间限制并经过加密。通用汽车称，它和 OnStar 无法访问“互联摄像头”的录像。客户也将能够管理权限。然而，据通用汽车称，选择不共享数据的客户可能会在访问某些功能时受到限制。